Planting blackcurrent bushes

Blackcurrants are gross feeders so need a deep, fertile and well-drained soil. It is well worthwhile taking time to prepare the soil properly prior to planting. Dig in plenty of compost or well-rotted manure, and mulch the site to retain water, although do not allow the ground to become waterlogged. The site should be sheltered and sunny. They will tolerate slight shading but the amount of fruit produced will be less.

Plant out in (ideally) October/November, but now will do, when the soil is still warmish. They should go one inch lower in the ground than they were in the nursery, to encourage new shoots beneath soil level. Plant 4-6 ft apart depending on vigour and whether bushes are upright or spreading. At planting, all shoots should be cut back to a bud an inch or two. Blackcurrants are always grown as free-standing bushes so no support or training is needed. Blackcurrants grow as stooled bushes, which means that they send up new shoots from below ground level.

Blackcurrants have a high Nitrogen requirement. To satisfy this need, feed with 2 handfuls of Fish, Blood and Bone or Growmore in the spring and mulch with well-rotted manure or compost. If growth seems poor give a further feed in early summer.

Growing new plants from cuttings is easy. Take six to ten inch cuttings from one-year-old shoots in the autumn after leaf fall. Cut off the unripened shoot tips and stick in the soil. Leave just two buds above soil level. If this is done in the autumn, by the next spring the sticks will have rooted. Remove any berries that may form in the first year. The following spring, dig up the new plants and replant in their permanent position. It will take about 3 years for the plants to reach full maturity, by which time, you can take new cuttings from those plants.

I began my growing with just two mature plants. The first year I took about twenty cuttings, thinking that maybe a quarter of them would root. Boy was I wrong! Every single one of them “took”. The following spring I was begging the other allotment owners to take some from me! I now have approximately fifteen mature plants, and another six immature plants, all from the origi nal two. As most bushes have a reasonable life span of about 10 years, I will be renewing some of the older plants in the next couple of years.

Superb advice, Geordie. Thanks very much.

Need to ask geordie....how is the head now????